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EU: Human trafficking major contributor to Libya economy

“People-smuggling in Libya is now a major part of the economy worth hundreds of millions of dinars according to the EU.

In the report by the European Union Naval Mediterranean Force, Rear Admiral Enrico Credendino warned the 28 member states that Libya’s economy is benefitting from an estimated $300 million per annum in human trafficking.

Reporting on the EU Navy’s performance during the first ten months of 2016, Credendino warned how the human trafficking trade is now increasingly being used by “Islamic extremists”.

“Al-Qaeda and AQIM (Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb), aligned with the Tuareg tribe in southwestern Libya, are assessed to be financially exploiting these smuggling routes,” Credendino warned.”